


Christmas Traditions

by TT40_Angst_Queen



Series: NCIS One-Shots [8]
Category: NCIS
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Father-Son Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-03 18:00:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12753345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TT40_Angst_Queen/pseuds/TT40_Angst_Queen
Summary: Some Traditions are meant to be shared with family...even if they're not blood.





	Christmas Traditions

**Author's Note:**

> Please Kudos and Comment!

“Crap, Shit, damn,” Tony growled, slamming down the phone on his desk. McGee poked his head up at Tony's cursing, and raised an interested brow; As much as the SFA joked and pranked around, Tony almost never swore at work, the last time he did it without probable cause had Gibbs head-slapping him so hard he swore he had lift off for a few micro seconds. After the MOA-Head Slaps, Gibbs told him the next time he cussed at work without a damn good reason, he was going to wash his mouth out with soap, and threatened to buy one of those expensive gross flavoured soaps just for the occasion. 

 

Tony took that to heart. 

 

So when McGee heard Tony's swears, he surreptitiously looked around to make sure Gibbs wasn't in the vicinity to hear it, having Tony's six. 

 

“Everything ok, Tony?” Tim asked slowly. Tony ran a hand down his face, letting out a frustrated breath. 

 

“Yeah, Tim, just peachy” McGee twitched. Ok, Tony called him Tim, no McNicknames. Something was wrong, clearly.  

 

“Tony…” Tim warned, narrowing his eyes, and Tony looked away, his mouth twisted into a frown. 

 

“My father called,” Tim nodded, suspicion on what made Tony curse without thinking suddenly popping up.

 

“What did he say?” Tim asked cautiously, treading lightly. Tony's father was a sore subject. The man was charming, sure. But it was the type of greasy, slick oily charm that made Tim want to take a shower even watching the man talk, let alone talking to him himself. Despite the man's insistence that he wanted to rebuild his relationship with Tony, the whole team knew that the man wanted the money Tony had made with his trust and many investments. The man was broke, and ever the conman, he had no shame on what he would do to get money, even from his only child. Tim hadn't had the best father, but at least his father didn't give him false hope, only to rip it away. He was perfectly aware of how his father really felt about him. 

 

“I invited him over for Christmas, thought we could pick out a tree together,” Tony smiled a bitter smile. “Like we used to when mom was still alive.” Tony laughed, the sound devoid of humor. “Guess I was wrong. He said he got a great business opportunity in Paris, London, not France.” Tony shook his head. “Should have known better.” growling, the older agent banged a fist on his desk, his eyes flashing.

 

“Would it kill him to spend  _ one damn holiday with his only child _ ?” Tony snapped, gritting his teeth. Tim winced. Seeing Tony this angry reminded him of why the SFA was often called a younger Gibbs by Ducky and many of the agents and staff of NCIS. Tony, when angry, was just as frightening as Gibbs. Tim was just starting to worry that Tony would start throwing stuff, when the anger in Tony's body and gaze evaporated, leaving behind an aching, visible sadness that made Tim wince in sympathy. 

 

“Just once,” Tony choked, his eyes misty, making Tim want to hug the man who was like a brother to him.

“Just once, I want him to act like a father,” Tony rubbed his eyes. “Is that too much to ask?”•

 

  °•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

 

“Poor Tony! Why does his daddy not want to be with him at Christmas?” Kate looked on, invisible to everyone still living, a sad frown on her face. Kate looked at the little girl clutching on to her arm, little lips trembling, wide familiar blue eyes full of tears. 

 

“Because Senior isn't a very nice man, Kelly.” Gibbs’ daughter looked up at Kate with big, confused eyes.

 

“But he's Tony's daddy, he's supposed to love him, like my daddy did!” Kate smiled sadly. She had been so shocked when she had crossed over, after saying goodbye to her friends. She had been greeted by a flying tackle hug by a little girl with her boss’ blue eyes and smile, and a beautiful red haired woman who drew her into a softer hug after the little girl, who had been thanking her repeatedly for saving her “daddy”. She had been even more shocked when the woman introduced herself as Shannon, and the little girl as Kelly, Gibbs’ deceased wife and daughter. After Kate got over the shock, she had realized that this explained much of Gibbs’ attitude, and the sadness and longing she had seen every time Gibbs interacted with a child or a redheaded woman. “Thank you for saving Lee, Agent Todd, I can't thank you enough,” was what Shannon had said to her when the  introductions were done.

 

Now, years later, she watched Tony with Kelly, Shannon off watching Gibbs’, as she often did. Kelly liked watching her “big brother Tony” whenever she could. Kate had shielded Kelly from the worst parts of Tony and the team's life, so this was the first time Kelly had witnessed Tony's 'relationship’ with DiNozzo Senior. 

 

“Your daddy still does love you Kelly,” Kate smiled at the little girl. “But Tony's… father…” Kate was at a loss on how to explain Seniors actions, but Kelly's next words helped her out.

 

“Tony is my big brother, that means daddy is his daddy too, Tony doesn't need mean old Senior!” Kate laughed, and pulled the eternal eight year old into a warm hug.

 

“Yeah, Kell’s, Gibbs can be Tony’s Daddy,” an idea started forming in her head, and she smirked at Kelly, seeing a similar one on the younger girl's face. The look was so much like Gibbs’ that Kate felt her heart twinge. Oh how she missed the older man that was so much like a father to her. 

 

“Here's what we're gonna do…”

 

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°

 

Hidden around the corner, Gibbs heard Tony’s sad explanation to his anger. Gibbs was glad that he decided to wait and see Tony's reasoning for his cussing. Senior had always been a subject that made the ex-Marine lenient on Tony's language. He understood that the disappointment and anger that The younger man's sperm donor caused him was a suitable excuse to cuss. Gibbs prefered Tony swearing then getting arrested for patricide. 

 

He felt for Tony as he heard his choked out words, and Gibbs suddenly heard his daughter's voice in his head, like he sometimes did, passing it off as his conscience. 

 

_ Why don't YOU take Tony tree shopping, daddy? Like we used to, but now you're taking my big brother! _

 

Gibbs knew his “daughter” was right, and he felt a smile twitch on his lips, swearing he could feel Kelly's hand in his. 

 

“I'll wait till after work, Kell's,” Gibbs murmured, then strode into the bullpen when he knew the conversation between the two brotherly agents was over. 

 

“Whaddya’ got!” Gibbs barked, glaring at his agents.    

 

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

 

“Seaman Ronald Deer, 36 years old, Dishonourably Discharged from the Navy and given 2-5 in Leavenworth. He got out on parole a month ago,” Tony started, motioning for Tim to give Gibbs his part.

 

“Deer was charged with drug possession and assault on a fellow officer, boss. His credit history shows him buying the materials used in the victim's, ur, Corporeal Mullany's murder.” Tim brought up a security video onto the screen. “This video is from a security camera installed in Mullany's neighbors back yard. It shows Deer breaking in, then coming out an hour later covered in bloody clothing, washing off the knife with the hose.”

 

Gibbs nodded, smirking, and pointing at Tony.

 

“Book 'em, Danno’” 

 

Tony laughed, a genuine smile and twinkle in his eye.

 

“Nice reference, Boss,” Gibbs just grinned and walked away. Tim followed Tony as he walked back down to the interrogation rooms. 

 

“I knew Gibbs had to know some of my references…” Tony began regaling Tim with some of the best quotes he said to Gibbs that the older man claimed to not understand.

 

°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

 

It was after all the paperwork was done, and Tim had left, Ziva having left a few days before to visit a friend in England for the holidays, that Tony sat back in his chair and sighed. 

 

The office was dark, Gibbs and Tony were the only two people left in the room, and possibly the whole building. Gibbs looked up at Tony's exhalation, and the green eyed man caught the older ones blue eyes.

 

“Hey, Tony…” Tony inwardly rose an eyebrow at Gibbs’ hesitant tone. He hadn't heard the man sound like that since before they hired Kate. And after her...death. 

 

“Yeah, boss?” Gibbs stood up, and Tony watched him carefully with his eyes as the older man made his way towards Tony's desk.

He stopped in front of it, not looking Tony in the eye, and started fidgeting with the edge of one of his folders. 

 

“When Kelly was alive…” Tony's eyes shot open wide, and his mouth wanted to drop to the floor, but he was smart enough to control the urge. Gibbs never voluntarily talked about his first wife, let alone his daughter, and to hear him just jump into it without any lead up… it was shocking. 

 

“...we used to have this Christmas tradition,” Gibbs finally looked Tony in the eyes, but the blue eyes of his mentor were far away, caught in the past. “We'd put up all the decorations, put them all up, but,” here Gibbs chuckled. “We wouldn't set up the Tree. Shannon insisted that she wasn't gonna buy a tree if she didn't know I'd be home for Christmas. She never gave me a reason, I never asked,” Gibbs eyes turned sad, “can't ask now…” Tony could see Gibbs’ blue eyes getting watery, and his heart clenched. 

 

“Boss, Gibbs…” Gibbs kept talking, as if Tony never spoke. 

 

“When I was there for Christmas, and not overseas, a week before Christmas, we'd wake up early in the morning, Make a big breakfast. We'd take out the box of ornaments, and set them on the couch. Kelly liked to take them all out and look at them while Shannon and I untangled all the lights and the popcorn tinsel Kelly would make in class every year.” Tony didn't know where this was leading, but he listened attentively. Tony felt honored that Gibbs trusted him and cared about him enough to share this clearly special memory with him. 

 

“After that, we'd bundle up and go to this tree farm in Maryland, it's been there since I was a kid. We'd spend hours looking for the perfect tree, and Kelly would be so picky…” Gibbs laughed, and Tony could see a sparkle in his eye that he rarely, if ever, saw. 

 

“When we finally found the perfect tree, we would strap it to the truck and go for hot chocolate. After that, we would go to an antique store, and we'd look for their Christmas ornaments, and find one special ornament to give to each other. Shannon always said that it was so Kelly would have something to put on her tree in her college dorm.”

Gibbs looked at Tony, his eyes finally clear, and he gave him a smile that Tony couldn't help but return.

 

“Then we'd decorate the tree, and leave spots for the new ones. We'd give them to each other, then put them on together.” Gibbs looked at a spot behind Tony, and the younger man noticed that Gibbs looked… happy. 

 

“Kelly told me, the last Christmas we had together, that she wanted a brother to give an ornament to.” Gibbs looked back into Tony's eyes, and then reached his hand out, placing it on Tony's head and running his hand through the brunettes hair. The unexpected move should have made Tony confused, but it only made him feel...loved. 

 

“I think she would've loved her big brother Tony.” Tony jerked up, but Gibbs didn't stop running his hands through Tony's hair.

 

“I thought I'd spend some time with my son Tony, this Christmas. Resurrect some old traditions, string some popcorn. Whaddya' think, son?”

 

Tony smiled, the anger and loneliness from Senior disappearing completely, and a broad smile lit his face as something warm clicked into place in his heart.

 

“I'd love to...dad.”

  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Please Comment and Kudos!


End file.
